Stabilizer for tractor tool bar

ABSTRACT

A stabilizer for a tool bar hitched in draft relation to a tractor comprising a support mounted on the tool bar and extending forwardly therefrom alongside a rear wheel tire of the tractor, and a rotary element journaled for rotation on the forward end of the support to bear against and roll along side of the tractor tire to prevent lateral movement of the tool bar. Tool bars carrying ground breaking, planter implements or the like are generally mounted at the rear end of a two or three point hitch carried by a draft tractor. Such hitches are pivoted at their forward ends to the tractor on horizontal axes for raising and lowering movement of the tool bar. So mounted the tool bar is subject to a certain amount of lateral play. This is not particularly significant when the tractor and implement are travelling over level ground. However, on sidehill terrain the implement will tend to drift to the downhill side. This can be partially prevented by mounting a colter-type wheel on the tool bar for penetrating rolling engagement with the ground. However, it is found that such a wheel or wheels will tend to depart from a straight path behind the tractive vehicle in sidehill travel due to the laterally sliding implement weight making it difficult to carry the tool bar and its attached implements in straight parallel rows.

United States Patent Gerald E. Thune Rte. 2, Sacred Heart, Minn. 56285862,359

Sept. 30, 1969 June 1, 1971 [72] lnventor [21] ApplNo.

[221 Filed [45] Patented [54] STABILIZER FOR TRACTOR TOOL BAR PrimaryExaminer--Robert E, Pulfrey Assistant Examiner-C. W. Hanor AtwrneyCarlsen, Carlsen, Sturm & Wicks ABSTRACT: A stabilizer for a tool barhitched in draft relation to a tractor comprising a support mounted onthe tool bar and extending forwardly therefrom alongside a rear wheeltire of the tractor, and a rotary element journaled for rotation on theforward end of the support to bear against and roll along side of thetractor tire to prevent lateral movement of the tool bar.

Tool bars carrying ground breaking, planter implements or the like aregenerally mounted at the rear end of a two or three point hitch carriedby a draft tractor. Such hitches are pivoted at their forward ends tothe tractor on horizontal axes for raising and lowering movement of thetool bar. So mounted the tool bar is subject to a certain amount oflateral play. This is not particularly significant when the tractor andimplement are travelling over level ground. However, on sidehill terrainthe implement will tend to drift to the downhill side. This can bepartially prevented by mounting a colter-type wheel on the tool bar forpenetrating rolling engagement with the ground. However, it is foundthat such a wheel or wheels will tend to depart from a straight pathbehind the tractive vehicle in sidehill travel due to the laterallysliding implement weight making it difficult to carry the tool bar andits attached implements in straight parallel rows.

STABILIZER FOR TRACTOR TOOL BAR Others have proposed various devices fortransversely interconnecting the draft links in the hitch. However,these are subjected to substantial stresses and strains particularlywhere the implement is carrying ground penetrating tools with the resultthat bending and breakage occurs. Also when a hitch is subjected to suchpressures it is more difficult to raise and lower the links about theirforward pivotal connections with the tractor.

Still another has provided a roller means on the hitch links forengagement with vertical surfaces on bumper members mounted in fixedpositions on the tractor chassis. Such a structure is disclosed in US.Pat. No. 3,047,076, dated July 31, 1962 and issued to Wier et al. Hereagain the strain imposed upon the hitch links presents a problem and theroller means are disposed so far forward of the tool bar that anyspacing between the roller and its engaged surface caused by wear,deflection or improper adjustment is multiplied many times at thetrailing tool bar allowing a significant amount of undesirable lateralsway.

The object of the present invention is to provide an effective means forrestricting lateral movement of a tractor drawn implement tool bar.

With this object in mind the invention broadly comprises mounting meanson the tool bar adapted for rolling engagement with the sides of thetractor wheels or tires mounted thereon.

The above-mentioned and additional objects of the invention will bebrought to light during the course of the following specificationreference being made to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the rear end portion ofa tractor having toolbar hitched in draft relation thereto and showing a pair of thestabilizer devices mounted on the bar with an alternate position shownin broken lines.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation of the device showingits mounted position relative to the tool bar and rear tractor wheel andtaken on line 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a rear elevation of the device.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing reference numerals willbe used to denote like parts or structural features in the differentviews. A conventional tractor is denoted at having a chassis 11supported on a rear axle housing 12 and rear wheels 14 each of whichcarries a pneumatic tire 15. A pair of hitch links 16 having theirforward ends pivotally connected on a transverse axis to chassis lljointly carry an implement tool bar 17 at their rear ends mountedthereon as by connecting brackets 18. The tool bar 17 carries aplurality of ground breaking implements spaced therealong such as springtooth barrow members 19.

This is conventional tool bar mounting and it will he understood that asthe members 19 move through the ground particularly in sidehill travelthe bar 17 may tend to shift toward one side or the other.

A pair of the stabilizing devices each denoted generally at 20 are shownmounted on the tool bar 17. These devices are identical in construction.Each has an elongated support 21 mounted on the bar 17 by a bracketmeans 22 to extend forwardly therefrom on a horizontal plane alongsidethe rear portion of one of the tires 15. A rotary element 24 isjournaled for rotation at the front end of support 21. Element 24 ispreferably provided with a peripheral friction surface 25 of rubber orthe like which may be in the form of a small rubber tire and thissurface engages against the side of the tire 15. The bracket means 22,best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, includes a mounting block 27 which setsupon the tool bar 17 and having an upwardly opening V-shaped groove 28on its top side for seating the support 21. A plate 29 rests against thetop of support 21 and is held firmly thereagainst by a pair of V-shapedend threaded bolts 30, one on each side of support 21, extending aroundbar 17 and block 27 and through plate 29 and being secured by nuts 31.

The stabilizing devices 20 are preferably mounted, as shown in FIG. 1 sothat the rotary elements engage against the outer sides of the two reartractor tires 15. However, they may also be mounted to engage againstthe inner sides of the tires as shown in broken lines. Either way theywill prohibit any significant lateral movement of the draft bar 17 withthe rotary element at the side of a tire opposite that of the directionto which the bar 17 is tending to move bearing against and rolling alongthe side of the tire which it engages.

It will be understood that the supports 21 can be adjustedlongitudinally in the bracket means 22 so as to position the rotaryelements 24 at the desired tire or wheel engaging positions.

Having now therefore fully illustrated and described my invention what Iclaim to be new and desire to protect by United States Letters Patentis:

l. A device for limiting lateral movement of a tool bar hitched in draftrelation to a tractor vehicle to extend crosswise behind the rear wheelsof the tractor which comprises:

a, a pair of elongated supports,

b. bracket means for fixedly mounting the supports on the tool bar inspaced relation therealong each along side and on opposite sides of arear portion of one of said rear wheels, and

c. a pair of rotary elements journaled one on the front end of eachsupport on an axis parallel thereto to peripherally engage and rollalong the adjacent side of said rear wheel to prohibit lateral movementof the tool bar in either direction.

2. The subject matter of claim 1 wherein said supports are spaced alongthe tool bar to extend one alongside each rear tractor wheel.

3. The subject matter of claim 1 wherein the rear wheels of the tractorare provided with pneumatic tires of resilient material and said rotaryelements have the peripheral surfaces thereof formed of frictionmaterial for frictional rolling engagement against the side of the tireengaged thereby.

1. A device for limiting lateral movement of a tool bar hitched in draftrelation to a tractor vehicle to extend crosswise behind the rear wheelsof the tractor which comprises: a, a pair of elongated supports, b.bracket means for fixedly mounting the supports on the tool bar inspaced relation therealong each along side and on opposite sides of arear portion of one of said rear wheels, and c. a pair of rotaryelements journaled one on the front end of each support on an axisparallel thereto to peripherally engage and roll along the adjacent sideof said rear wheel to prohibit lateral movement of the tool bar ineither direction.
 2. The subject matter of claim 1 wherein said supportsare spaced along the tool bar to extend one alongside each rear tractorwheel.
 3. The subject matter of claim 1 wherein the rear wheels of thetractor are provided with pneumatic tires of resilient material and saidrotary elements have the peripheral surfaces thereof formed of frictionmaterial for frictional rolling engagement against the side of the tireengaged thereby.